Dacha

Dacha is the Russian term for a seasonal second home located in the country outside of the city limits.  It is estimated that about 50% of Russians own a dacha that they occupy during the summer months.  For Americans, dachas are very similar to cabins in the mountains except Russians use them more to grow crops for the winter and Americans use them more to vacation.  One of the main reasons traffic is so bad in Moscow on Friday afternoons is because millions of people are headed to their dachas on the outskirts of town.

At one point the U.S. Embassy here in Moscow owned 2 dachas, the near and the far.  Currently we only have the near dacha.  The dacha is an ammenity we have here at post.  It is a nice way to relax and spend some time away from the city... and its 11 million legal and 7 million "illegal" residents.  This past weekend we spent a few nights here with some friends.  We cooked lots of food, drank some beers, and relaxed.  It was a nice little get-a-way.